Product Review: Yarok Feed Your Volume Shampoo and Conditioner
Oh, snap. Don’t hate me, pals. I am in love with this stuff and it ain’t exactly cheap. But it’s worth it. Hear me out.
You know those fancy shoes in your closet that you pull out on the days when you feel like garbage? Or that lipstick that—natural or not—never fails you? Or that cute top your boyfriend bought you that you wore three times in one week because, well, it that kind of week and it’s just that kind of shirt?
This is the shampoo and conditioner version of all of the above.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way. The shampoo and conditioner are $26 apiece for 8.5 oz (which is what I’d call a “regular” size bottle). I got sample sizes of the shampoo and conditioner for free, and quickly bought full sizes when I ran out. (Transparency! See below*) Money well spent, in my opinion. Here’s why.
I haven’t smelled a shampoo or conditioner with a scent this aromatic and interesting in a long time. It isn’t sweet, it isn’t musky, it isn’t too herbal, it isn’t too…anything. It’s fresh and invigorating, a curious blend of lavender, cedar, mandarin, orange, and rosemary that smells like all of those and none of them at the same time. And most important, the scent doesn’t alter strangely as the day goes on.
I still adore my Acure, don’t get me wrong. It’s my go-to for everyday washing. But the smell on Acure morphs for me. (More transparency! See below. **) It doesn’t go off, per se, but it doesn’t smell as great as when I first step out of the shower or dry. This bums me out slightly, because I have a weird nervous tick where I pull my hair in front of my nose and smell it when I’m anxious. (I’ve also been known to do this when I’m flirting, which is awkward.) I do this many times every day! When the smell isn’t as good, I’m bound to notice. That said, I still use it every day and I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a better value out there.
Still, it’s nice to use something sort of luxe, and something that offers different results entirely.
I used this several days in a row last weekend and air-dried every time. As a frequent air-dryer in the summer, I have to say I noticed a major difference in how my hair looked and felt (and smelled—did I mention the smell?). It’s a volumizing line, and my waves were left sort of perfectly beachy, but with no frizz whatever and they felt really, really silky. Not oily. Not coated in sillicone. Just, well, touchable and soft. The marshmallow root is probably one of the reasons. It’s a slippery substance, and often used in shampoo and conditioner to help detangle and smooth the hair. It’s also used by herbalists for eczema, psoriasis and other skin irritations, which might explain why the rash on the nape of my neck, which comes and goes, and which I sometimes don’t mind and sometimes drives me completely insane, went away with a few days of use.
Also in there, calendula and chamomile, both of which my skin happens to love.
Finally, Yarok is one of those givey companies, donating 3% of annual sales to The Pachamama Alliance, a nonprofit devoted to helping land preservation in the Amazon.
Have you tried Yarok? Did you love it? Try anything else new for hair lately?
Shampoo ingredients: Purified Water, Decyl Glucose and Lauryl Glucose, Coco Protein, Seaweed Extract, Organic Herbal Infusions of Coltsfoot and Marshmallow Root, Calendula Blossoms and Chamomile Flowers, Chickweed, Horsetail, Slippery Elm, Comfrey Root and Sea Buckthorn CO2, Nettles and Oatstraw, Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oils of Lavender, Atlas Cedar, Red Mandarin, Sweet Orange & Rosemary, Grapefruit Seed Extract
Conditioner ingredients: Purified Water, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Organic Herbal Infusions of Coltsfoot, Chickweed, Nettles, Horsetail, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root, Comfrey Root, Calendula Blossoms, Chamomile Flowers & Oatstraw, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Seaweed Extract, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Calendula CO2, Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oils of Sweet Orange, Rosemary & Vetiver, Vitamin C, Sage & Rosemary, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oils of Geranium, Tea Tree, Lavender, Ravensara Aromatica, Rosemary & Lemon, Sage & Rosemary Antioxidants, Grapefruit Seed Extract
* See what we did there?
** Since so many of you want to know the negatives, here you go! The stuff smells weird on my a few hours later. Sniff!
I have the Feed Your Ends leave-in conditioner spray. I also love the smell & it definitely seems to perk up my curls.
Now I need to dig up the shampoo & conditioner samples and see if they work for me!
Yes! I bought little sample sizes (the set that comes with the shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, and mousse) because the prices scared me a little. They still kinda do, but this stuff is amazing! It really does make your hair exactly as Siobhan described. Plus, you really only need to use a small amount, whereas with other shampoos like Alaffia I find it sometimes it takes more to do the job.
Just a small note of caution though, anyone who doesn’t like vetiver should steer clear of the conditioner. It’s not the same citrus/herbal/woodsy smell of the shampoo.
@Siobhan – I DO THAT TOO! Using hair products like Yarok has definitely made it more enjoyable, if not less awkward. Haha.
I have not had the pleasure of trying this line but I might. I am of mixed race (Trindadian) which leaves my hair a coarse mess! I also have ALOT of hair so the price and the size certainly intimidate me. I have been using a natural, organic line by Prairie Naturals, Wild Rose. It is quite nice but I find it may leave my hair a tad bit oily or coated with all the natural oils in it. Hard to find good natural, organic haircare that doesn’t break the bank and leaves my hair soft and shiny without being greasy or dull. Thanks for the review. Nicole <3
I haven’t tried Yarok, but I recently received a sample of John Masters Organics’ Lavender and Avocado Intensive Conditioner from Nubonau. I absolutely fell in love with the stuff. It instantly untangles my long, thick hair, without making it heavy or greasy (magic?!?). If only it weren’t so expensive… ($22 for 7 oz).
I mainly use Aubrey Organics, which is available locally. The Swimmers’ Normalizing Shampoo is amazing to minimize the damage done by sweat, sun, and chlorine.
I’ve tried both the shampoo and the conditioner, really liked both. Trouble is, I have a few very good, very clean brands that I like, and it’s one area I can go much cheaper as I am a big fan of the California Baby line of shampoos and conditioners, which is about half the price and easier to source. (By easier to source I simply mean I can walk into Wholefoods and purchase them, which is better for me because I don’t pay shipping or succumb to the temptation to buy $100 more worth of stuff on Spirit Beauty Lounge – I can never walk away with only what I’ve set out to buy on SBL!!!) I also love the Rahua shampoo and conditioner, but not enough more than California Baby to pay three times as much for the products.
One Yarok product I use regularly is the hairspray – I haven’t found anything as clean and while I wouldn’t call it cheap, I go through it slowly enough that I consider it too pricey, plus the likelihood of me breathing in hairspray is so great I would be super vigilant about this one.
Oh, and btw (off on a tangent, I know) I really like the California Baby sun range. Good price point and my skin prefers it to some of the other clean stuff – it doesn’t leave a sticky film or white cast on me, plus the after sun spray is lovely.
Question to Siobhan: if you do your hair sniff several times a day, does this mean you are a very nervous person or are you a Super Flirt?!? ;)
I usually prefer unscented shampoo/conditioner, but I like these EO combos – I’ll have to try it!
Thanks for this post!
I usually use Rahua Voluminous shampoo, i tried others but it seems the best one for my hair!
Would like to try this one from Yarok and also the Acure ones, wl see if there are any stockists in Europe!
Soooo glad to see this review. I’ve been wanting to try Yarok for awhile. I completely echo the sentiment of Acure’s lack of scent staying power – it actually really bothers me :( I can find almost no detectable scent on my hair, and I just end up smelling like…scalp, which I hate :( I do like John Masters organics stuff, and Rahua, but so far the only clean line I’ve found with scent staying power is Rare El’ements, also a steep price. I’ll definitely be trying Yarok soon :)
The ingredients of the Yarok Shampoo and Conditioner look lovely. The marshmallow root and slippery elm probably add to the softness you felt in your hair. I need to get my hands on some marshmallow root and experiment with it in DIY hair care products…
I recently tried Shea Moisture Yucca and Baobab Anti-Breakage Masque (a deep conditioner). It smells lovely and moisturized my hair quite well. Next time I do my hair, I’ll try the Shea Moisture Yucca and Aloe Thickening Growth Milk (a leave-in conditioner).
@Sarah B Hilarious!
@Naomi HUGE flirt ;)
I too am enthralled with the vetiver smell of the conditioner! But I found it sort of drying/not conditioning enough to my hair. Maybe I wasn’t using enough co?
I feel the same way about another equally expensive shampoo and conditioner… Kevin Murphy Angel wash and rinse. I think it’s at least mostly non-toxic… maybe you could let me know? If it’s somehow awful, I’d be willing to give this a go. I at least want to smell the Yarok!
Omg I have been WAITING for you guys to get on the Yarok bandwagon! It has one of the VERY few shampoos that I can use, being a no poo curly girl and wanting just enough to get rid of dandruff and make my scalp feel clean (especially here in good ol Nc.) considering my skin will not tolerate baking soda AT all, I LOVE it! I especially love the conditioner as a leave in. It doesn’t do so well for me fighting frizzy fly away fine hair. But as a leave in mixed half and half with kinky curly custard it is a GOD send in the humidity and the only green regimine that works for me! I’m still clueless ab refreshing second day curls or how to preserve them when I sleep (my head smudges them and flattens them as I sleep) but its hands down the best I’ve tried so far! AND SUPER clean. I also love the mouse as a roots booster and for a tiny bit of extra curl control. I even use the pomade stuff they have to help style the 50’s hairstyles I do. I want their hairspray too but have yet to buy it. In case you can’t tell I’m hooked!
I too fell in love with the Yarok shampoo & conditioner and turned all my friends on to it. We were noticing how it works on all hair types. No one mentioned this but I don’t need to wash my hair as often stays cleaner an extra day and still smells clean! I found a small size prepack of the shampoo & conditioner at Wedoorganic.com. Thanks for the tip on the hairspray-
Hi guys, does it work on colour treated hair? that is the big question.
Hi guys, looks excellent. question is: how is it on colour treated hair? would it strip?
Okay, it was too tempting. I had to order these from Saffron Rouge, as I had a couple things in my cart there and it put me over the top for free shipping. What an awesome excuse, one I use often! I was wondering why I had not tried Yarok before, and as I suspected, most of their products that I want to try are not gluten free (I’m sure I looked at them previously). The shampoo and conditioner look okay for me though.
Yarok mousse and pomade are great, but my favorite product is the spray-on leave-in. It’s great for my babies’ textured, but fine, hair. The leave-in has a very lemony smelly, which I don’t love, but it is such a nice product that it’s worth it. It’s a reasonably good curl refresher on my curly dry hair, too.
I’ve tried both of Yarok’s Feed Your Volume shampoo and conditioner. For me, I adored the conditioner way more than the shampoo, but both were still nice. The conditioner definitely became a mainstay in my routine, giving me super soft hair without weighing it down (a big factor for me, since my hair is super fine). However, I recently fell in love with Intelligent Nutrients’ Harmonic shampoo which doesn’t require me to use any conditioner at all. Us product junkies are always switching it up :)
But Yarok is definitely still a winner!
Salon Naturals is my favorite affordable clean shampoo and conditioner. Greenbody Greenplanet is my fave splurge. Sample sizes are available for each brand.
It’s still hard to find these nice luxe naturals in Canada (WHY!). But I’m a pretty die-hard fan of Aubrey’s, which I FINALLY just got again. Honeysuckle rose, baby. Mmm.
@Jessica, you can get Yarok at Fresh Faced! I think it’s free shipping over $25, which as a Canadian is super exciting.
3 places here in Ottawa, Ontario carry Yarok. It’s wonderful stuff. I was using Rare Elements and John Masters, but I prefer Yarok in summer. Rare Elements is wonderful For winter, and JM anytime, just to switch things up. I use Feed Your Ends on my daughters as well.
I am a sucker for mousse and was so happy to find Yarok, it works are well as conventional without the yucky stuff. It’s a bit pricey but lasts forever!
Feed Your Do works amazingly well on my fine 4b/4c textured hair. This product provides the right amount of moisture, does’t just sit on my hair and weigh it down. Also provides wonderful definition for my twist outs. I was so impressed, I just ordered the rest of the line!